Lullaby For Grownups
by Difinity
Summary: (Spoilers, Oyako one-shot) Papa. Such a simple word. Never in his life did he imagine that he would hear an innocent little voice address him that way. To see a small child stare at him with such open love and adoration…it was a truly remarkable sight.


A/N: Pointless oyako fluffiness. That's all.

Disclaimer: Tales of Symphonia © Namco

Warning: This story contains SPOILERS! Read at your own risk.

_L__ullaby For Grownups_

A tall muscular man stood in a tiny clearing in a tranquil forest in the midst of night. A cool breeze blew by gently, making the leaves on trees sway and rustle together, a soft humming resonating throughout the area. The sky was clear and adorned by thousands of stars that were clustered together and glowed brightly amidst the dark hues of the night sky. Hanging overhead was the moon, full and glowing brightly, sending it's rays down to the ground and illuminating the earth. It was a peaceful night; silent and calm as any other, almost making it seem as if the entire planet was covered in a blanket of sleep and the natural beauty that was usually masked by humans was unleashed and exposed to those who were able to stay awake.

Kratos Aurion turned his gaze to the stars and breathed in deeply, taking in the cool scent of the air into his lungs and savoring the moment of quiet. It was rarity that he would get a chance to be alone with his thoughts and sort them out with patience. There was so much going on in his life, so many priorities to sort out that there were times when he wanted time to stop so he could take a moment to breathe and think things through. His life was now so involved and complicated; there were times when he wondered if he had ever truly lived a peaceful life. With only so many memories in tact after such a lifetime, many moments were blurred and distorted in his mind. So many memories that were out of context…out of place. He didn't know how he managed to remain sane after so long, but all he knew now was that his life and those he cared about depended on it.

A bright light in the sky caught his eye as Kratos realized that a shooting star was blazing through the heavens. He recalled stargazing with his own father so many thousands of years ago. Glad that he was able to remember, Kratos smiled wanly, his eyes melancholy in the light. He often wondered what his life would have been like had he not chosen the path he took. Where would his life ended up? When would he have died? There were so many questions that were unanswered, it baffled him greatly. Kratos decided it was best not to think of such things. The present was all that mattered; the past was long since over.

Kratos' back stiffened when he heard movement behind him, yet he relaxed when he felt a tiny hand slip into his own. He looked down to see a small boy looking up at him, his wide bright eyes filled with endless adoration that seemed tangible.

"Papa!" the little boy chirped. "Mama, she wants you to come home!" The small child tugged on his father's hand, urging him to follow.

Papa.

Such a simple word.

Yet it was one that made Kratos feel light-headed and filled with such a strong, naked emotion that it made him weak in the knees and his heart feel as if it was going to burst. Never in his life did he imagine that he would hear an innocent little voice address him that way. To see a small child, a likeness of himself, stare at him with such open love and adoration…it was a truly remarkable sight.

Had someone told him years ago that he would be willing to give his own life a hundred times over to protect such a tiny thing, he would have thought it foolish. Now he knew it was true. The small child holding his hand and urging him to return home was now the center of his universe. His reason for living and striving to save the world.

His son…his beloved son…Lloyd. The tiny creature he helped create. A product of his endless love for his wife, Anna.

Lloyd. The person he loved more than anyone else on the planet. More than life itself.

"Papa?"

Lloyd's tiny voice pulled Kratos out of his trance. He glanced down at his son and examined him for a moment. Kratos was surprised to feel that his eyes were welling with moisture from just looking at his son. The love he felt in his heart was more than he could bear.

Scooping the boy up from the ground, Kratos wrapped his arms around his son and held him tightly, feeling the tiny body pressed against his own breathe with life. Small arms wrapped around his neck, returning the embrace and holding on tightly. Lloyd pulled away from his father and kissed him on the cheek, presenting a sunny smile on his face. The only thing in his life that Lloyd found to be true no matter what…was that he loved his father. No matter how confusing things might be at times, his world's one and only truth was that he loved his father. And that his father loved him.

He adored this man that would wake him in the morning and carry him into the kitchen for breakfast. The man who would take him out on walks in the forest and show him all the animals that inhabited the area. Who would let him play with Noishe in the mud, even though Mama disapproved most of the time. And the man that would take him out during the night and give him the stars.

Kratos smiled at his son and kissed the small boy's forehead before he smoothed his hair gently. Lloyd's smile grew even wider and he cuddled his face into the crook of his father's neck, shutting his eyes as he grew sleepy.

There was no place in the world that was better than being in Papa's arms, Lloyd decided. No matter how scary the world might seem, Papa's arms were the one place of comfort that Lloyd knew to turn to. The safest place he knew.

"Let's go inside, Lloyd," Kratos said softly.

As they walked back home, Kratos heard his little boy sigh happily and search for a more comfortable position in his father's arms. He opened his eyes and pulled away from his father for a brief moment.

"Papa," Lloyd said.

"What is it, Lloyd?" Kratos asked.

Lloyd was silent for a moment before he smiled and spread his arms out as far as he could.

"I love you this much!" he said happily, continuing to try and stretch his arms out even further.

Kratos couldn't help but chuckle at his little boy and placed a kiss atop his brunette head.

"As do I, Lloyd," he said.

Lloyd returned to curling up in his father's arms when Kratos looked up at the sky.

It was moments like these that merited Kratos expressing how he felt. There was no way around it for him and although he was always somewhat stoic, his tiny son always managed to bring out a smile on his face. His tiny little voice was like a soothing lullaby that drove all of the worries and fears away. Kratos' hope for the future was in his son. There were no words he could ever find to describe how much he loved his son.

He just did. There wasn't much he could do.

A soft giggle or an innocent statement from his son was all the comfort Kratos would ever hope of seeking. The sweet lullaby that was his son was all that he needed to soothe himself away from his anxieties and focus on what was really important; his family.

Both father and son traveled back to their home, each one thinking of the other, but remained in silence. A bond that was unbreakable and too palpable to be understood by anyone else.

A shooting star streaked the sky over head.

And all was calm on that starry, starry night.


End file.
